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I'm sorting through my 2000 pictures from the last two weeks in Cyprus and expect to post a few queries here.
This one could be the most difficult!
This bird flew over Paphos harbour last week (1 February) and by the time I had realized that it was a lot bigger than a gulll it was flying away. Hence these pictures are a bit distant at extensive digital zoom.
I thought it was a Great White Pelican. Is this a possibility? The wings were light underneath, edged with darker colour.Alan

The way it appears to be holding its head up, rather than more level or down (as in attachment), inclines me to say this is a Grey Heron taking a flight with neck extended, rather than Crane. Could do with a better shot, but it is not a pelican anyhow.

No. It's most likely a grey heron, I agree, but it's far from obvious and if you really think that you must have superhuman powers or have been there.
From these poor shots, it looks like it's got a long neck - which gives the impression of a crane, but if the observer thought at the time it might have been a pelican then at least it was worth asking the question on Bird forum.
I think it's a grey heron. But i do the poster the honour of at least thinking about it.

No. It's most likely a grey heron, I agree, but it's far from obvious and if you really think that you must have superhuman powers or have been there.

Are you sh*tting me? Superhuman powers?? As Jos said earlier, even without the benefit of the blown up photo, it's a Grey Heron taking off. It's obvious because that's exactly what Grey Herons look like

Quote:

Originally Posted by scary-canary

From these poor shots, it looks like it's got a long neck - which gives the impression of a crane,

Eh?! What, and Grey Herons have a short neck do they??! Whilst Grey Herons normally fly with their necks folded, they do frequently stretch their necks out in flight. Of course that's no what is painted in the field guide - that's where field experience comes in

Quote:

Originally Posted by scary-canary

but if the observer thought at the time it might have been a pelican then at least it was worth asking the question on Bird forum.
I think it's a grey heron. But i do the poster the honour of at least thinking about it.

With all due respect, the poster also though an adult Cormorant in breeding nick in a good photo was a Red-throated Loon (sic) (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=106958) so maybe you should just make your own mind up from the photos?

Are you sh*tting me? Superhuman powers?? As Jos said earlier, even without the benefit of the blown up photo, it's a Grey Heron taking off. It's obvious because that's exactly what Grey Herons look like

Eh?! What, and Grey Herons have a short neck do they??! Whilst Grey Herons normally fly with their necks folded, they do frequently stretch their necks out in flight. Of course that's no what is painted in the field guide - that's where field experience comes in

With all due respect, the poster also though an adult Cormorant in breeding nick in a good photo was a Red-throated Loon (sic) (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=106958) so maybe you should just make your own mind up from the photos?

It's a ****ing obvious Grey Heron.

BT. After a bottle of wine and a long, hard week

Congratulations, you have won my nomination for BirdForum's Rudest Man...

Congratulations, you have won my nomination for BirdForum's Rudest Man...

I have to agree with that. it was not only rude, it was offensive.
I take a lot of time and a lot of care before putting identification queries on Birdforum. I will continue to post queries in the knowledge that most responses will be sympathetic and informative.Alan

Bloody hell, what a lonely moron you must be BobTag! AlanR must be one of the nicest posters on this forum, always asking for honest, sincere help from other members, and here you are ripping him to pieces! No need for it.

I'm sure Alan will take absolutely no notice of your rant, and I hope he cotinues to post his questions.

Another vote for Grey Heron - and another vote for BobTag being BirdForum's Rudest Man.

It certainly isn't obvious that it's a heron, and although you, BobTag, may have observed them often in this way in the field, it gives you no right - however much knowledge you have - to be so foul-mouthed to other members.

Another vote for Grey Heron - and another vote for BobTag being BirdForum's Rudest Man.

It certainly isn't obvious that it's a heron, and although you, BobTag, may have observed them often in this way in the field, it gives you no right - however much knowledge you have - to be so foul-mouthed to other members.

Oh well, I wasn't going to reply again, but seeing as it keeps getting bumped up the list and I will.

Firstly, Paul has a fair point, and I apologise for swearing. Shouldn't have, I'll blame the drink, so sorry.

Now with a clear head, let me retort, even if I am a "lonely moron", thanks Jason

In my first post I simply stated my belief that the bird is an obvious Grey Heron, and I still stand by that belief. In the next post Scary-Canary disagreed with my view that it was "obvious" and strongly put his case forward, which I interpret was based on three key points:

1) - I must have superhuman powers
2) - The bird has a long neck, making to look like a Crane
3) - The original poster (Alan) wondered if it was a Pelican, and therefore it couldn't have been a obvious Grey Heron.

Hopefully no-one can argue against the interpretation of these points.

I "strongly" rebutted these arguments, which I'll clarify below as some have been predictably mis-interpreted:

1) - Of course I don't have superhuman powers. I do, though, have a lot of field experience of Grey Herons as a common british bird where I live, and have often seen them looking like this.

2) - Yes, the bird has a long neck, but then Grey Heron has a long neck. The presence of a long neck does not point towards Crane as it's a fact that Grey Herons have long necks.

3) The last point is subjective, depending on the observer. I was not having a go at Alan as some suggest, but the situation is variable on the original observer. If, for example, Killian Mullarney, David Sibley or the late Peter Grant had seen a bird and thought it "interesting", it would have different implications than, for example, if I had seen an "interesting" bird. My challange was to Scary-canary to asses what he saw, rather than what Alan posted. Surely that's what Alan wanted us to do when he posted?

Do I stand by these points? Yes. Is it utterly predicatable that some people in these forums would have mis-interpreted these arguments and flown off the deep end? Yes. Could I have been less agressive when I first posted in response to Scary's challange? Yes. Is it the rudest thing I've read in these forums? Not by a long way...